Most liked posts in thread: Heeeeeeeere we go! (Fiona's 2011/2012 Service Project)

Saturday update:

Figured out most of the orphaned wiring - thank God I can read a wiring diagram. Have to make a manual switch-to-relay to drive my auxiliary cooling fan, as my old radiator had a temp switch that my replacement radiator does not. Luckily, I understand electrics. Mostly.

Discovered the old crankcase breather was left on the old engine and needs to be replaced. Does anyone have an opinion on K&N-style filters like this one? I've read that without using a vacuum line to the carb (which it looks like my new setup may not accomodate), you can either get oil inside the bay, or end up with a slipping clutch eventually (or both).

Still finding pieces/parts that I left attached to the old engine that needs replaced - H2O temp sender unit for the water temp gauge... the bolts and bracket for the coil... pieces of the main engine steady dogbone mounting plate... etc. I'm never "thinking ahead" ever again - it's too ^%$#@! expensive.

QUESTION: There's a big, round canister in the LH wing, just above the radiator expansion tank... is that a charcoal canister filter? There are several black plastic (looks like) vacuum lines running into it that I think used to be connected at the other end to the carb manifold, but my new units lack the pickups for such. I assume I can omit, yes?

Onwards...

 

There's a one-way check valve on the servo vacuum line which helps, but others have been telling me that since there's positive pressure coming out of the breather, it interferes with the amount of vacuum force on that hose, and that the breather should only be hooked to a separate vacuum line.

At this point, I,m planning on checking the manifold when I get it to see if there's a place where I can tap out a secondary line into the intake manifold. If not, I'll just use one of THESE on the end of the breather I think...

 

That's it? Just basic friction holds it in place? Should I at least crimp a bend in the cable so it can come back up and trap itself between the nuts or something? Seems pretty tenupus for such an essential component...

 

Okee dokee - will give it a try just as soon as my new throttle cable arrives... the one from my old car was for a late-model HIF carb doesn't fit the new SU setup whatsoever. Hopefully that's the LAST &^%$#@! part I need to order!

 

Gonna try firing her up this weekend... WISH ME LUCK.

 

Re: clutch - Called Seven and they say that it should, at minimum, have a return spring behind the cup, if not an entire piston. Just to be safe I ordered a new slave - what's another $65 at this point, right? (((insert desperate, maniacal laughter)))...

Re: coil extra piece - it's a flat, rectangular black plastic lozenge, not silver. The wire is very short - only a few inches tops, severely limiting the places where the spade terminal could possibly connect. It's not, as far as I can tell, anyway, listed on my wiring diagram - I see both wires I expect coming off the positive coil terminal, but not this third, extra element... I can shoot a pic when I get home if it's still a mystery.

 

Yeah that was an entire engine ago. Unfortunately. When I was told "never pull the engine - you'll find a ton of extra things that need to be done" I had NO flippin' idea...

 

Oh. My. God. I'm *SOOOO* frustrated right now... like "I seriously give the %$#@! up!"

Primed the oil pump on Saturday and was looking forward to getting the car started. Had my fire extinguisher handy as I reconnected the battery and flipped the switch on...

Lights? Check.
Gauges? Check.
Headlights and turn signals? Check and check.
No burning smells... no popped fuses.
Tried starting... NOTHING.

Checked the starter relay and all connections... the relay is clicking when the key is engaged, but there's no crank. Headlights don't fade when running on battery (so the battery should be good) burt they do dim a tiny amount when ke is flipped to "start", but not a lot - I don't think the starter is seized or failed (it was the same unit I pulled off my old engine and was working fine then - all I've done to it since then was paint it).

Checked the hot lead on the solenoid leading to the battery - 12.5V even with the key out, so current is reaching the solenoid.
Checked the wire (red/brown) on the solenoid spade terminal that leads back up to the starter relay - 12.3V with the key to "start" (so the starter circuit seems to be working).
Checked the ground strap from the engine casing to the car body in case I wasn't getting a good ground - confirmed bare metal on both ends, and I can use the bare strap metal as a ground for my electrical meter so I know it's grounding.
I even tried using another battery out of my new MINI just in case the battery (which has been jept on a charger all this time while I've been getting the engine sussed out) was in fact dead but was somehow reading full current. No dice; exact same thing.

I dunno... I'm ready to scream. I'm usually pretty good with electrical - it's basically follow the wires and check that current is flowing in a logical order - but this one has me stumped despite something like 6 hours of effing with it. I'm so close; failing this far along with bad weather coming at any moment is MADDENING.

Anyone want a really good deal on a classic with a brand new motor? I'm just about ready to throw in the towel so someone smarter than me can enjoy the *&^%$#@! thing... :incazzato: